She Walks In Beauty
by Scorpia710
Summary: You can't judge a book by it's cover. Ginny learned that, and will always remember the day she learned it.


**A/N:** I don't own Harry Potter, make any money of this story and I don't own this wonderful poem the story is based around.

No matter which way she turned, No matter how tired she was, Ginny just couldn't fall asleep.

She felt jealous of Marcy Crosse every time she heard her snore soundly in the bed right next to hers. Marcy had always been a sound sleeper.

Suddenly, Ginny couldn't take it anymore. With a heart felt sigh she got out of bed, fetched a book, put on her blue house coat and made her way down to the common room.

The sun would be up in a few hours anyway, she'd be able to see the sunset. Seeing the sunset was something she missed since coming to Hogwarts. At home her bedroom window was right in the view of the sunset. At Hogwats she was usually to tired to wake up and see it.

The first thing Ginny noticed as she stepped down from the last stair was that she wasn't the only one in the common room.

Messy, raven colored hair over ceramic colored skin immediately told Ginny who it was.

Harry shifted silently in his sleep as Ginny watched. He was lying length wise across the sofa, fully dressed with one arm was limply hanging of the side of the couch and the other arm was laying over his chest.

On a table beside the couch Neville's Mimbulus mimbletinia sat peacefully. As Ginny came closer she glimpsed something blue under Harry's arm.  
She came closer and realized that it was an open book. But Harry's arm was covering the book and it was cover side up so Ginny couldn't see what was written on it's pages.

Curiosity overpowered her other senses and gently Ginny lifted Harry's arm of his chest trying not to wake him.

Triumphantly, Ginny held the blue book in front of her. It was a plain blue book, but you should never judge a book by it's cover.

Ginny thumb was holding the place Harry had it opened at. Ginny opened the book.  
Harry's handwriting was written across the pages.

A bold sentence at the top of the page caught Ginny's blue eyes and she started to read.

She Walks In Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies,  
And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes;  
Thus mellowed to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,  
Had half impaired the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress Or softly lightens her face,  
Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek and on that brow So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,  
The smiles that win, the tints that glow But tell of days in goodness spent,  
A mind at peace with all below,  
A heart whose love in innocent.

Ginny quickly turned the pages hoping to find more of the poem on the other side.

But there was no more. Ginny started to read it again but an amused voice interrupted her.

"I'm guessing you like it?"

Ginny's eyes flew up to meet Harry's green ones. Ginny paled and started to apologize, "Oh Merlin, I'm sorry--it was just sitting there and it was open!" Harry didn't seem mad though. She stopped trying to apologise and glanced at the poem, "It's a far cry from, His eyes are green as a fresh pickled toad."

Ginny realized what she had said and turned a bright red. Harry burst out laughing.

"Don't laugh! It was _so_ horrible!" Ginny said trying to hide her embarrassment.

Harry looked at her with amusement and smile that made her heart flutter.

"It wasn't horrible, It was really nice, I was just being a total prat. But you must admit, in retrospective it was quite hilarious," Harry said.

"Oh yes, the memories. You, pinned to the ground by a freakish cupid dwarf in a toga, my absolutely horrid poem being sung out, with Malfoy there may I add, and the whole crowd laughing till they cried. Yes, quite hilarious," She said sarcastically.

Then, catching the amused look on Harry's face, she begin to laugh, "Okay, it was humiliating but funny."

Ginny's happy look suddenly disappeared, "Was--is the girl in your poem real?"

"Yes, very real," Harry said seriously.

Ginny nodded hoping Harry couldn't hear her heart breaking, "She sounds pretty." She tried to cover her jealousy, _It better niot be that damned Marcy! _She thought with a frown.

"She is," Harry said quietlky. Ginny was looking out onto the grounds so she never saw Harry staring at her when he said it.

"Does she like you too?" Ginny was going through the pretty girls she new in her head, trying to figure out which one was the lucky girl.

"I sure hope so."

"So...Have you told her that you like her?"

"Not outright," Harry paused. "She has six older brothers." Harry said dryly.

Ginny spun around even though her heart was being ripped out of her chest, she had to say it. It was the right thing to do. Harry was watching her; like he was trying to tell her something without words.

Ginny would think about that later.

"Well, you should tell her, how is she really going to know if you don't speak up?" Ginny asked as she threw her arms in the air in exasperation.

Harry nodded. With a deep breath he stood up and walked toward Ginny.

He grasped both her hands in his. Ginny watched him with a bemused face that Harry thought was terribly cute.

"Ginny Weasley...I like you...a lot. I hope you can forgive me for not realizing it sooner, and I hope you will allow me to call you my girlfriend?"

Ginny stared at Harry before realization came over her face.

"You want me for a girlfriend?" she asked slowly.

"I don't want no one else, I just hope that you'll take me."

"I...I'd love to be your girlfriend Harry! What took you so long!"

Harry laughed and happily swung Ginny around the room.  
Ginny smiled and Harry kissed her softly.

A loud "Heh, hem." made Harry and Ginny jump and look around.

Hermione, Ron, Fred and George were standing at the stairs. Their arms were crossed and Ron, Fred and George looked mad.

Ron quickly crossed the room and grabbed Harry by his front.

"Ron!" Ginny shouted in surprise and anger.

"Ginny, this needs to be said." Ron stated determinedly.

Ron stared into Harry's scared eyes.

"What took you so long!" Ron exclaimed and he wrapped Harry in a hug.

"Sorry mate, that was just to good of an opportunity to pass up." Fred said cheerfully.

"Your face!" George gasped, pointing at Harry. He mocked Harry's earlier expression by putting on the most terrified expression he could muster.

The three brother dissolved into laughter. Even Harry and Ginny had to chuckle now.

"Too bad we couldn't get some pictures of that." Ron said wistfully once he had calmed down, wiping tears of mirth from his face.

"You don't think I'd let something like that happen without some proof do you?" Hermione asked from behind the couch.

They all looked up to see a camera in her hands.  
"Say cheese!" She called, clicking another picture of them all.

Ginny and Harry exchanged a look that clearly said, (Seize the evidence!) Harry suddenly darted toward Hermione, who shrieked and ran around the other side of the couch. Ginny raced toward her on that side of the couch, but was seized around the middle by Fred, who threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down Fred!" she yelled, pounding fists into his back. He spun around in a circle, causing Ginny to shriek and grab onto him for dear life.

Meanwhile, Harry had almost caught up with Hermione, when she darted behind Ron who stuck out his arms to block Harry. All of them were laughing as Harry tried to get past Ron.

"You're going down Weasley!" laughed Harry.

"I don't think so Potter. These pictures are going o be posted all over the Great Hall!"

"And because of your behavior, I'm sending the ones of you two kissing right to Mrs. Weasley!" Hermione added from behind Ron.

"Hermione I'm going to kill you!" Ginny screamed in between peels of laughter. Fred spun Ginny around again making her scream.

"Fred! You're going to make me sick!"

"Puke on him, Gin!" Harry called.

Ron looked over to see if his sister was really going to be sick and Harry used the distraction to lunge past him.

He reached out to gram Hermione but was tackled from behind by George. None of the friends noticed when the portrait opened, or that their classmates were grumpily descending the stairs.

Ron and George started top beat Harry with pillows, and Harry reached out to grab Hermione's ankle.

"What is going on here!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed her fists firmly planted on her hips. She was wearing a dressing gown and her hair down.  
Worse still Professor Snape was standing right beside her, his arms were crossed and his expression clearly stating that the Gryffindor were in deep trouble.

As if on cue the pillows George and Ron had been beating Harry with exploded and at the sound Hermione shrieked, Harry jumped when Hermione shrieked and when he jumped he pulled Hermione's ankle and she fell on top of him.

Fred had stopped spinning Ginny around when the Professor had spoken and now he fell over from dizziness with Ginny on top.

Hermione had fallen on the camera and it started to spew pictures, which flew in the air.

The six friends stared at the Professors the glanced at each other.  
Suddenly the pods on Neville's Mimbulus mimbletinia exploded. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George were covered in the green, manure smelling slime.

"Eww!" Various student's screamed as the smell filled the room, and most of them ran back upstairs.

The professors had yet to say anything.

Ron sneezed in the silence and his mask of slime flew of to hit George in the face.

Ron snorted. Ginny tried to hide a smile and they all tried not to laugh.

It worked for a few minutes before the friends busted up in laughter.

Hahaha's and hehehe's filled the room, they snorted with laughter, cried with laughter.

"I can't br--breath!" Fred cried and Harry let looses a great , "Ha!" that echoed across the room and they all laughed at him.

They panted with laughter and held their sides as the two Professors looked at each other. Professor McGonagall grinned at Professor Snape.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Gryffindor!" he exclaimed as he left the common room shaking his head.

The friends who had just started to calm down busted up again.

Severus Snape was very glad nobody saw corners of his mouth twitch as he left the room.

"Just clean this up." Professor McGonagall said in exasperation before she left the room.

The friends smiled at each other as they cleaned the common room up together. Life was good.

**A/N:**I was young when I wrote this, okay I was the same age I am now, lol. But I was more inexperienced. I know it's fast paced, any constructive criticism?


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